


When the Floodwater Comes

by itsspanner



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Running Away, Toby Smith | Tubbo Needs a Hug, Tommy needs a hug, dadbur, dtao3, wilbur tries to be a good dad, wow i didnt think that would be an actual tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27085402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsspanner/pseuds/itsspanner
Summary: "My first decree as president of L'manburg, the emperor of this great country, is to revoke the citizenship of Wilbur Soot and Tommyinnit!" Schlatt's voice booms around the arena. Wilbur watches, frozen and silent as everything that he had built up crumbled to his feet, like a sand castle hit by a wave. He tries to react with the rest of the crowd, join in their shocked gasps and protests, but nothing comes out.Set on the SMP when Jschlatt wins the election.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 2
Kudos: 75





	When the Floodwater Comes

"My first decree as president of L'manburg, the emperor of this great country, is to revoke the citizenship of Wilbur Soot and Tommyinnit!" Schlatt's voice booms around the arena. Wilbur watches, frozen and silent as everything that he had built up crumbled to his feet, like a sand castle hit by a wave. He tries to react with the rest of the crowd, join in their shocked gasps and protests, but nothing comes out.

He knows nothing that he does at that point can persuade Schlatt to stop, think about what he was doing. Tommy was just a kid for fuck's sake. Tommy.

Wilbur looks to his side to see Tommy in a similar state of shock to him, not responding to Tubbo's worried calls of his name. Stepping closer to Tommy protectively, Wilbur would not let anyone harm him, he would give anything to look after the boy that lived inside the shell of a man.

"Get up here on my podium, Tubbo, you're my secratary of state. You want the job?" Schlatt's voice turns soft when he addresses Tubbo, a harsh contrast to the tone he used on Wilbur and Tommy just seconds earlier.

Tubbo looks to Wilbur for help, fear shining in his eyes, a look of pure desperation on his face.

"Tubbo?" Schlatt insists.

"You want me Mr President? I really don't think-" Tubbo cuts himself off when he sees the crossbows aimed at him from George and Quackity.

"It's not a suggestion," Schlatt's voice hardens and Tubbo starts to quake in fear.

"Y-yes Mr President Sir," Wilbur knows that realistically it is Tubbo's only option at this point but that didn't stop the sting of betrayal that pierces deep within his body, spreading poison like a snake bite.

"Tubbo? You want the job?" Tommy's voice calls brokenly, and Wilbur can't imagine how hard it must be watching your best friend side with your enemy, but if it's anything like the hurt he hears in Tommy's voice, he hopes beyond all hopes he will never have to experience that.

"Tommy, I-" Tubbo reaches out a hand towards his best friend, to touch him, comfort him, anything but Schlatt grabs his hand.

"Shut up Tubbo, let your president speak," Schlatt forces Tubbo's arm down next to his side. At this point, Wilbur can see even Quackity and George looking horrified at the monster they helped put in charge of L'Manburg. It dawns on everyone at once, all the warning signs they ignored, the slightly off things Schlatt always said before brushing them off with a laugh. Schlatt had deceived them all and now they had to live with the consequences.

"Tubbo will be, shall I say, showing you the door, farewell, Wilbur Soot and Tommyinnit," Schlatt laughs maniacally and its echoes envelop Wilbur and Tommy, both of them drowning in hopelessness. Wilbur places a hand on Tommy's arm and he can't quite tell if it's to help Tommy or himself but it works, he breaches the surface for a minute and takes a deep breath, clearing his head of all the useless thoughts clouding his judgement.

Tugging Tommy's jacket lightly, Wilbur says softly, "C'mon Tommy we need to go." He can tell the boy is in deep, Wilbur is in danger of losing him and if Tommy's immobile body says anything, Wilbur's words don't reach him. But he knows someone who can reach him.

Tubbo walks up to the pair, looking minimally more relaxed now he has Schlatt's hand off his arm. He won't make eye contact with Wilbur, instead he looks at the ground, blinking away tears furiously, "I have- I have to show you the way out." His voice alone nearly reduces Wilbur to tears, the once happy, enthusiastic boy stands broken and crying. Desperately, so desperately he wants to pick up all the pieces and put them back into place, comfort the boy in front of him, because he's not a man not really, but Wilbur cannot do that, he can't fix this, not anymore.

So he does what he can, he places a warm hand on Tubbo's shoulder and says, "Tubbo look at me," the boy looks up at him, tears shining in his eyes, "I'm not angry at you, I know it's your only option. Stay safe while me and Tommy are gone, promise me, promise me Tubbo, you'll look after yourself."

Tubbo nods ferverently, tears flowing down his face now, "I promise Wilbur."

"No," Wilbur looks to his side to see Tommy, finally shaken out of his reverie, "I'm not having this, we can't just let him walk all over us. Tubbo, run away with us, we can find somewhere to live together, it'll be even better than L'Manburg." The blond starts to perk up at his idea and Wilbur feels dread pool in his stomach as he realises what happens next is going to hit Tommy hard.

"I- I can't Tommy, I love you man, so much, but Schlatt, he won't, he won't let me," Tubbo's voice shakes, "and if I do manage to get away he'll, he'll find me and he'll hurt me." His voice trails off towards the end of the sentence, terror draining the colour in his cheeks.

"I love you too Tubbo and that's why, that's why we're going to run away somewhere safe, somewhere so far away Schlatt won't find us," Tommy grasps Tubbo's shaking hands with his own and looks at him with hope in his eyes and smiles at him reassuringly, "It'll be okay Tubbo."

Tubbo starts to shake his head in despair before Schlatt walks up behind him and claps a hand on his shoulder, the boy flinching away from the strong grip.

"My my, what do we have here? How cute, saying your final desperate goodbyes," Schlatt drawls, smirking at the looks of horror on all three of their faces. He pulls Tubbo closer toward his side using the hand on his shoulder and his hands slip out of Tommy's. Wilbur can only watch as the blond boy crumples in on himself, tears flowing freely, Tommy knows then, all hope is lost, but a spark still flickers slightly in his chest, outrage at Tubbo's capture.

When he makes eye contact with Schlatt, Wilbur remembers the promise he made to himself when he first took Tommy and Tubbo under his wing, that he would do anything to look after them. But here they were, ensnared in the conflict, with Tubbo in the hands of the enemy. The failure almost stings more than the loss of the election, Tommy and Tubbo were supposed to be his priority but he got too wrapped up in playing politics to see what was right in front of him.

"W-Wilbur," Tubbo looks at him, the very picture of despair, even in their final moments together he still looks to Wilbur for help and the older man almost breaks down at the thought. He opens his mouth to reply but is cut off by Schlatt speaking.

"Who are you talking to Tubbo, he can't help you now, I am your leader," his fingers dig painfully deep into the boy's shoulder and Tubbo bites his lip to stop himself from crying out in pain. "And you're my right hand man now Tubbo, what do you say to me?"

"Y-yes Schlatt, any-anything for you Schlatt," Tubbo says, his voice weak and breaking, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat.

"Okay, well said Tubbo, now go help Quackity and George break down the walls big man," Schlatt grins and steers Tubbo over to the aforementioned duo, the brown-haired boy feeling sick to his stomach at the use of the nickname that Tommy gave him.

"Of course Schlatt," Tubbo's voice is barely audible now, his head bowed in submission. He throws one last look at Tommy and Wilbur before walking over to George, who ruffles the tearful boy's hair in a vain attempt to cheer him up.

With Tubbo out the picture, Schlatt's grin hardens and his eyes twinkle, promising nothing short of torture. "You have one minute to leave L'Manburg before you are forcibly escorted. I wish I could say it was nice knowing you Wilbur, but that would be a lie," with that Schlatt swans off to join the party pulling down the walls of L'Manburg.

Wilbur turns around and starts into the forest before he realises Tommy isn't following him. "C'mon Tommy, you heard Schlatt, we have one minute," Wilbur says, his voice soft.

Tommy stares at him increduously, "And you're, you're just listening to him?! He has Tubbo, Wilbur, Tubbo. Does that not mean anything to you?" Tommy's voice starts to crack as his eyes refill with tears.

"I know Tommy but we can't do anything, Schlatt will kill us on sight. I know he's Tubbo, your Tubbo, but right now, we all need to be safe and he's safe with Schlatt right now, Schlatt won't hurt him," Wilbur isn't sure if he's reassuring Tommy or himself, "So we need to find somewhere safe, somewhere to stay until we can get L'Manburg and Tubbo back okay." Wilbur wills away the tears in his eyes to no avail, he desperately wants to look strong for Tommy. Lord knows the boy needs it. Under the moonlight he looks gaunt and pale, his usual bluster and pride lay shattered at his feet, displaying the lost, broken boy inside.

"It was meant to be Tommy and Tubbo against the world," he whispers, tears running shining tracks down his face. Wilbur wraps an arm around his shoulders and he allows himself to be led willingly.

"There we go Tommy," is all Wilbur allows himself to say as he leads Tommy into the forest, his vision swimming in tears.

They run like the wind through the woods, stumbling occasionally on a tree root in their haste to get away, to safety. Wilbur notices that Tommy is dropping behind, tiredness grasping his ankles and weighing him down. He comes to a stop in a clearing and announces, his arms spread out wide, "This is it Tommy our new home."

The blonde boy looks at him blearily and says grumpily, "It's all your fault Wilbur. You suggested we hold an election, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't have done that."

Wilbur looks at Tommy, speechless, they were really doing this now? "Well you brought him here Tommy, you brought Schlatt here, isn't it equally your fault."

Tommy's eyes widen at the accusation and then he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face tiredly, "I'm sorry Wilbur, I shouldn't have said that, I'm just tired. We can't turn on each other, we've lost Tubbo, we've lost everyone, its just you an' me now."

"Hey, it's okay Tommy, I shouldn't have lashed out either, it's just been a long day and I think it's time we go to sleep," Wilbur grins fondly at Tommy when he sees the boys eyelids start to droop. Tommy just hums in response, exhaustion overtaking him now that the adrenaline has worn off.

Wilbur pulls out two thin bed rolls and blankets out the small bag he packed just in case, suddenly glad for his past self's thoughtfulness. He sits down cross legged on his own bed roll, volunteering for first watch, as Tommy lies down on his, the blanket slightly too small for the lanky teen so he tucks his knees up close to his body.

Wilbur strokes his golden hair softly as the boy drifts off to sleep but looks down at him again when he sees a blue eye staring up at him.

"Will you-" the boy blushes softly, "Will you sing for me?"

Wilbur smiles softly and nods,

"I heard there was a special place,

"Where men could go and emancipate,

"The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers,

"Well this place is real you needn't fret,

"With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo." Wilbur continues his comfortingly stroking Tommy's hair at the soft wounded sound he made at the mention of his best friend,

"Fuck Eret," that elicits a sleepy chuckle out of the boy,

"It's a very big and not blown up L'Manburg,

"My L'Manburg, my L'Manburg, my L'Manburg," Tommy joins in softly, "My L'Manburg."

Their voices slip away into the still night air.

Tommy drifts off to sleep, looking far too young and fragile in his slumber.

Wilbur stands up slowly, careful not to jostle the sleeping boy and picks up his sheathed sword from where it lies next to his bed. He looks down at Tommy and slips off his uniform jacket and lays its over the boy's sleeping form, feeling a fondness well up in his chest when the blond curls tighter underneath it, grasping the bottom of it softly.

He takes one last look at Tommy before striding off into the woods, back in the direction they fled from.

"For Tommy and Tubbo, I'm doing this for Tommy and Tubbo, it's all worth it for them," Wilbur says quietly to himself, tightening his hands around the cold hilt of his iron sword. 

He wouldn't let them be cursed to never meet again, he knew how much they meant to each other and himself. In that moment, he put their wellbeing over his own, to try and make up for his earlier failure of being able to protect them. He had the chance to help them now and he wouldn't let it slip away like he had Tubbo.

He grins to himself, picturing the look in Schlatt's eyes when he wakes up to Wilbur's sword hilt deep in his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> :DDD thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Comments and criticism are always appreciated. Thanks :]
> 
> title from twin size mattress by the front bottoms.


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